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RUSTON, La. – The New Mexico State baseball team used an six-run ninth inning to defeat Louisiana Tech 10-4 in Ruston, La., Friday, April 19.

The Aggies improve to 20-18 on the year and 6-7 in Western Athletic Conference play and La. Tech falls to 13-25 and 2-11 in league play. This is the sixth straight year NM State has posted 20 or more wins in a season.

The Aggie offense produced 10 runs on 14 hits including an RBI triple from junior Michael Medina, an RBI single from and a three-run home run from senior Parker Hipp in the top of the ninth. The NM State defense posted three double plays on the evening and just one error while starting pitcher Adam Mott got the win working seven innings and striking out seven batters. Mott is now 5-3 on the year with 64 K’s in 68.2 innings of work.

The game was scoreless for the first two innings of play but the NM State offense posted three runs in the top of the third. Junior Quinnton Mack got things started with a lead-off walk and right fielder Michael Medina followed with a bunt single. Rust came up with a two-RBI double down the right field line for the first runs of the game. Senior Bobby Lecount gave the Aggies a 3-0 lead when he marked his seventh sacrifice fly of the year, which is a team-high.

Neither team scored a run in the fourth but the Bulldogs got on the board in the fifth. Senior Kyle Phillips posted an RBI single in the sixth to give the Aggies a 5-1 cushion. It was Phillips’ 25 RBI of the year after going 3-of-5 on the night and improving to .312 at the dish.

The Aggies took a comfortable 10-1 after crossing the plate six times on four hits and three walks in the ninth but Louisiana Tech attempted to make a comeback scoring three times in the bottom of the inning.

Five different Aggies posted a multiple-hit night including Lecount who went 3-of-4 and Rust who also went 3-of-4 including the double in the ninth.

NM State faces the Bulldogs in game two of the WAC series, Saturday, April 20 at 3:00 p.m. (MT). The game can be heard in Las Cruces on KSNM AM 570 with Jeff Matthews giving the play-by-play action. Live stats are available online free of charge at www.NMStateSports.com.